The autumn color in Kingston Canyon just before you reach the dam will make you go wow. At least, that’s what I said when I first saw it on October 13, 2025 and what my husband said when I sent him a photo of it. A long, wide ribbon of red, orange, yellow, and green aspen decorates the stream banks.
Prior to that spot just below the dam, groves of aspen on the hillside are an almost neon orange, yellow, and green.
Trees—probably water birch—line the road for a few miles past Kingston and they paint the canyon gold.
Cottonwoods also are peaking alongside the road, while above Groves Lake the willows are a striking yellow.
The trees in middle Kingston Canyon to just past Groves Lake are at peak (75%) with another 15% of the trees still green and 10% past peak. The town of Kingston has some nice color at the upper part of the town and is at the Getting Better stage (40%), although some trees are near peak.
Did the Fall Color Survive the Storm?
I wondered if the storm that passed through the night of Tuesday, October 14 froze or blew off the leaves, so I drove back up to Kingston Canyon on Wednesday, October 15 to see. The good news? Even though some of the trees lost some leaves, there’s still plenty of fall color up in Kingston Canyon, especially the red, orange, and yellow trees just below the dam.
Snow on the peaks above Kingston Canyon makes for some pretty photos in combination with the fall color.
If You’re Going. . .
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With the weather warming up starting tomorrow, the trees this weekend in Kingston Canyon should look glorious. Remember there’s no cell phone service up in the canyon, so we recommend the Garmin In-Reach Mini 2 satellite device to call for help in case of emergencies.
Past Groves Lake and not far past the trailhead parking for the Toiyabe Crest Trail there is water over the road. We recommend parking at the trailhead parking and walking on the trail or up the road unless you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle.
Combine Kingston Canyon with a fall color drive by Austin Summit for an ideal autumn foliage trip.
Kingston Canyon Fall Color Update October 15, 2025
• Kingston Canyon – At Peak (75%)
• Town of Kingston – Getting Better (40%), but some trees in town are near peak.
